Work For It
by ABlazingPhoenix
Summary: Hermione is desperate to get a job she can prove herself at. The Ministry really wants to merge with Malfoy Enterprises, but the only way that will happen is with Hermione's help. She has to work for Malfoy to get the merger to go through, but her agreement with him might just cause her to lose everything she has. Or realize what she was missing. Rated M for future. DRAMIONE


Hermione paused outside of her new boss' office. This was her first day on the job and she was nervous, as she had no idea what it was that she would be doing. She had spent the past two months applying for every job she could come across at the Ministry of Magic. She had never thought to use her status as a war heroine to get her a better job. She has passed her NEWTs with flying owls, and she wanted to prove she deserved whatever position she got.

She had received an owl three days ago, informing her that her resume had been ideal in what they were looking for, and asked her to report to Mr. Jeffinson on Monday morning to go over with her what would be expected of her.

She sucked in a deep breath, before knocking solidly on his door. After a few seconds of silence, Hermione's heart sped up, and she found her knees buckling in anticipation.

"Come in." A deep voice called out to her.

She opened the door and was greeted by an older wizard, in his fifties. His hair was grey, and styled into a clumsy comb over, as he was thinning on top. He wore black robes, and it was clear that he was overweight, even with him sitting down.

"Ah, Miss Granger. I have been expecting you." He rose out of his seat to offer her his hand. His eyes roaming over her as he did.

Hermione's cheeks burned as she shook his hand, and as soon as he let go, she fidgeted with her robes, making sure that everything was in place. She then took a seat across from him. She found her eyes grazing his office, to try to figure out exactly the kind of person her new boss was.

"Alright then, down to business. I have looked over your resume, and your skills are perfect for the position we are looking for at the moment. We have a special client that is working with us, and we need someone from our end to take care of him in the transition to getting access to his business. As of right now, the final signings haven't happened, but we want to make him as comfortable as possible before the merger."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at his terms and the words he used. She was unsure of what was expected of her. She took a deep breath, before looking up at him.

"And what will I be doing, exactly?" Her voice was sharp, but she was confused about what exactly it was she was being hired for.

"That will be left up to the client." He said simply, as if he couldn't care what she would be doing.

"So I will be working for him, or for you?" She felt her hands tightening in her lap.

"You will work for me, and your job is to do everything the client asks you to do."

"So I am going to be his assistant?" She found herself chewing on the inside of her cheek at the thought of being a lowly assistant.

She had so many opportunities offered to her before, and she had just let them slip by because of her pride and the fact that she really wanted to prove herself to the Wizarding World.

He shrugged as if the title couldn't possibly matter to him. He glanced at her, as a look of seriousness came over him.

"We will be getting weekly reports on you, as well as the weekly reports that you yourself will turn in, so that we can monitor the process of the merger."

She nodded, now understanding how her resume may have come into play for this decision. She glanced at her hands for a moment, and then looked back up at the older gentleman.

"You were requested by name, and we really need this to work. This company has many magical advances, and we would like to be able to incorporate them into our daily life, to be better prepared for the future."

Hermione felt her eyes widen at the thought of being chosen by someone especially for this job. She felt a warmth run through her, as she began to pay closer attention to the man behind the desk.

"Now, of course, something as large as this merger is going to leave an imprint in the future. If you help to make this go into effect, then your name will never have any doors closed to it. So many witches and wizards are going to be begging you to work with them…"

He paused, looking at her again, making sure she understood what he was telling her. And she did understand. She also understood what he was not saying, which was if she caused them to fail then her name would be one they would run from.

Hermione frowned again as she thought about all the times that she had been offered a job, even before she got her NEWTs. She had turned down every job that was presented to her that she didn't feel she deserved. She also had an interview with the Daily Prophet in which she made it clear she would earn their respect, not have it given to her.

"Now, Miss Granger, I have arranged for a meeting in the front conference room. It will be you and the client. You will be on your best behavior and make sure that you do everything that he asks. We need this deal to go through." He began to leaf through some documents on his desk. After a moment he looked up at her. "It's at two. Don't be late."

She looked at him for another moment, before standing. She looked at him, unsure. He glanced up at her, before waving his hand dismissively.

"You may go now, Miss Granger."

"Thank you, sir." She whispered to him before exiting the room and shutting the door behind her.

 **O.o.O**

It was just before two o'clock and Hermione was wringing her hands in anticipation. This was it, her big moment. She had been out to a small café to try to get some lunch, but she couldn't eat anything, with the butterflies floating around inside her.

As soon as her watch said two, she went to the front conference room, and knocked awkwardly at the door. It swung open with ease and she made her way in.

The first thing that caught her attention was how dark it was in the room. There were no lamps lit, just a couple of candles that were floating high above her head. She closed the door behind her, and turned toward the table.

"Ah, Miss Granger…"

Hermione froze. The tone and sound gave her the effect of de ja vu. She was taken back to the beginning of her second year, when she had met a tall, blonde haired evil wizard.

She took a deep breath as she kept herself moving forward. She knew that Lucius Malfoy was currently under house arrest and would never be allowed alone with her. She moved closer to the being in the dark robes.

As she inched closer she noted she same hair, same eyes, as the person who came to her mind. There were other differences, though. He had his hair cut shorter, styled in a part in a very business-like manner. His face was too young to be Lucius, and the final thing that put all the pieces together was the smirk placed some-what gracefully across his face.

"Malfoy?" Hermione couldn't help the scoff that came out of her lips.

"You may take a seat, Granger. Knowing you, this will take a lot longer than necessary." But his eyes twinkled with humor.

Hermione was suddenly captivated by the deep grey pools. She had never noticed how brilliantly they glowed in the dark. Without thinking she took the seat closest to the head of the table, where he sat. She turned to him, trying to keep Mr. Jeffinson's words and warnings on her mind.

"I am sure that you have been made aware that we will be working together, from now on." He stated matter-of-factly, as he began to sort of the piles of parchment that was in from of him.

"No, I will be working beneath you." She snapped at him, as her hands clenched in front of her.

"Now, Granger, I couldn't imagine the thought of you beneath me." He smirked at her, and with his tone Hermione quickly picked up the innuendo.

Her face flushed as she looked down, before looking up, between her curls at him. She was glad for the dark, to hide her bright face.

"I need someone who will listen to me, and be able to keep up. I have been working with this company my whole life, and I know everything about it. No one knows more about it than I do, but I need someone who can listen and learn, and be able to take away from it."

He looked back at his paper work, and began shuffling them. After he had them in the order that he wanted them to be in, he glanced at her.

"With this being a family business, this is a private merger, and not everything within my company shall be provided to the Ministry, just that which will help them. So with that being said, I need you to sign a contract. It will allow you to be able to learn all there is about the business, and be able to decide what is important and what is not. "

Hermione shook her head, as she gripped the chair beneath her. She couldn't think of any reason that would justify signing a contract with a Malfoy. She began to fidget as Mr. Jeffinson's words came back to her, about how without her help in this merger, that her name would be linked with failure.

"I will only sign once I've read it over, and agree to the terms." She sighed as she looked at the table for a moment, and then at him.

He was smirking at her, in a way that was unique to him.

"I would have been disappointed if that wasn't your first response." He shrugged slightly as he slid over a copy of her future job requirements.

She snatched the copy up and began reading over it. She was impressed at how much effort was put into such a simple reason for a contract.

 _ **GENERAL PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT**_

 _ **This agreement ("Agreement") establishes a partnership ("Partnership") between the following parties:**_

 _ **Draco Lucius Malfoy, CEO of Malfoy Enterprises, 2123 Nobbins Alley;**_

 _ **Hermione Jean Granger, Employee of Ministry of Magic, Address Hidden on Parchment**_

 _ **And is undersigned and set forth this 3rd of April, 2000.**_

 _ **The undersigned parties hereby agree to the following provisions as conditions of the Partnership:**_

 _ **SECTION 1-Partnership Outline**_

 _ **1.1 The Partnership will be named Malfoy and Granger, for the purpose of allowing Hermione Granger to be an assistant to Draco Malfoy, and will conduct all business at where ever Draco Malfoy sees fit.**_

 _ **1.2 Partnership will commence on the date listed above, and will end on or about the 3rd of April, 2001, at which time the contract will be looked over, and if agreed upon, renewed.**_

 _ **SECTION 2-Initial Capital**_

 _ **2.1 Each Partner will contribute original capital according to the following rules:**_

 _ **Draco Malfoy shall allow entrance into Malfoy Enterprises, and shall answer any questions or concerns without hesitation.**_

 _ **Hermione Granger shall do anything that Mr. Malfoy asks her, and without hesitation. She will not disobey his orders business or otherwise.**_

 _ **2.2 There is no need for a combined monetary capital, as Mr. Malfoy will provide funding for any expenses that come up during the partnership of Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger.**_

 _ **SECTION 3-Accounts/Income**_

 _ **3.1 Each Partner will have an income account in his/her individual name, which shall be separate from the capital account mentioned in Section 2.**_

 _ **3.2 Income and/or salaries will be distributed by Mr. Malfoy, who is going to pay Miss Granger 50 Gallons, weekly, in addition to her pay from the Ministry. It shall be automatically deposited into her vault at Gringotts.**_

 _ **SECTION 4-Profits and Losses**_

 _ **4.1 This partnership will not have any monetary profits or losses taken into account.**_

 _ **SECTION 5-Books/Accounting**_

 _ **5.1 Accounting books and other records pertinent to the Partnership will be kept at Malfoy Enterprises or Miss Grangers Office, and any partner and/or his/her representative may have access to the books during normal business hours.**_

 _ **5.2 The accounts for this Partnership will be kept by Miss Granger. It is her job to ensure that all the records for the merger are written and kept. Mr. Malfoy is not responsible for the records in anyway, but will be able to look over them at any time, and remove content of his choosing.**_

 _ **SECTION 6-Management**_

 _ **6.1 Partnership will be managed by Mr. Malfoy. He will ensure that everything that is needed in assisting with the merger will be provided, upon request of Miss Granger.**_

 _ **6.2 It is expected of Miss Granger, as a partner, to comply with any and all requests of Mr. Malfoy. She will dress appropriately for all occasions.**_

 _ **If Miss Granger doesn't have the right attire, Mr. Malfoy will take her shopping for the correct attire.**_

 _ **Miss Granger will attend necessary events with Mr. Malfoy when requested.**_

 _ **Miss Granger can be summoned at any time by Mr. Malfoy, regardless of the hour.**_

 _ **6.3 Partnership meetings will be provided to Miss Granger when Mr. Malfoy deems them necessary.**_

 _ **SECTION 7-Disputes/Arbitration**_

 _ **7.1 Disputes that cannot be settled by the Partners via a mutual decision-making process will be decided over a game of one-on-one Quidditch.**_

 _ **SECTION 8-Partner Withdrawal or Death**_

 _ **8.1 Should a Partner wish to leave the Partnership, than the merger within the Ministry shall become void.**_

 _ **SECTION 9-Confidentiality**_

 _ **9.1 Any information that involves the Partnership, directly or indirectly, shall be considered Confidential. No Partner may share this Confidential Information with any third party without the written consent of all other Partners.**_

 _ **SECTION 13-Jurisdiction**_

 _ **This Agreement is subject to the laws and regulations of the Ministry of Magic, as well as any applicable federal laws.**_

 _ **We, the undersigned, agree to all the provisions listed above, and sign this document of our own free will.**_

 _ **Signed:**_

 _ **Partner Name Partner Name**_

 _ **Donnelly Jeffinson**_

 _ **Partner Signature Partner Signature**_

Hermione frowned as she read over the clauses of the contract before her. She looked up at him, noting the glint in his grey eyes.

"This makes me sound like a servant." She frowned. But her mind was more focused on how if she declined or broke away from this contract, the merger wouldn't go through. "And what is this, about following all orders, business or otherwise?" She felt herself bristle at the thought of being forced to do whatever he said.

"Well, I imagine that when we get this to go into effect, then I will need you around more." He grinned, flashing his straight white teeth at her in the dark. "And I need to be confident in the fact, that if I tell you no about something, you won't fight me."

"And if I refuse…" She added softly, thinking to herself.

"Then we are done here. I won't invite an idiot into my company to have them mess up my work. It's either you, or nothing."

She sighed, looking back through the contract. She paused at Section 9. She thought of her friends, of Ron, who she had been dating on and off for the past six months.

"And I cannot tell anyone about this?"

"Ah, I am afraid not, darling. See, your friends and I do not see eye to eye. They would try to sabotage whatever we were working on, and I just don't see the reason to go through all of that if we don't need to."

He shook his head slightly, to move some of the hair that had fallen into his eyes. She looked at him, embossed in the dark, and couldn't help but find him attractive. It was then her turn to shake her head, as she glanced back down.

"Why would I need "proper attire"?" She looked back at him, her delicate eyebrow raised at him.

"If there is a ball or a charity event in which I need to take a date, I would be escorting you. We would need to match and look the part."

Hermione scoffed at the thought of going anywhere with Malfoy as a date. She looked down at the bottom, noticing her boss' scrawl. She glanced back at him.

"Mr. Jeffinson has read and signed off on this?" She sounded shocked at the thought of someone else reading it. It seemed too personal.

Draco grinned at her, a menacing look gracing his face in the dark.

"I find it's easier to get what I want when everyone agrees."

She frowned, understanding that this would be just the beginning of what to expect if she agreed to his terms.

"He knows that if you don't sign, I walk. And I happen to know if you blow this, then you won't keep your job." He leaned in and whispered to her.

She bit her lip, before grabbing the quill and signed her name with a flourish. She sat back, her heart racing at the idea of working so closely with him.

A triumphant look on his face, Draco reached over and took the quill, adding his name, before the parchment began to glow.

"Welcome to Malfoy Enterprises, Granger." He smirked.

A month had gone by without Hermione really noticing. Her assistant work was fairly basic and to be expected. She would go on coffee errands, pick up Malfoy's robes, and sit with him in conferences and take notes. She wasn't bored with it at all and found she rather enjoyed working with his company.

She had grown used to the bracelet on her wrist that glowed gold when he was summoning her. She would immediately apparate to his office, and do whatever it was that he was asking of her. She made sure that she was always dressed, with her hair done, and kept some mascara and lip gloss with her at all times. She wouldn't put it past Malfoy to write a report on her showing up looking like she had just rolled out of bed.

One bright morning, Malfoy called her to his office. She had been sitting at her current desk, which was in a small room, outside his much larger office. When she entered his office, she glanced around. She did this every time that she entered his office. It was grey, and bright. The carpet was a cream color, which transitioned into the cool steel wallpaper. His desk was large and made of dark oak. It was stained black and had silver accessories. He had many magical instruments set up around the room, making it feel very homey. She always wanted to touch them and figure out what they do, but she never had the guts to ask him.

"Granger, we are going out this morning."

She raised her eyebrow at the pale man. They had yet to really do anything together besides the meetings, and she was shocked. She placed her hands behind her back, and gave them a squeeze.

"What will we be doing?" Her voice was calm but she couldn't help but feel nervous. She hadn't told anyone about the new specifics of her job, and she was sure that going out with Draco Malfoy was bound to make the news.

"We need dress robes. In two weeks we have the Ministry Ball to attend to, and it would be easier to get matching robes, if we go together." He stood, allowing her to see his slim body fitted with a grey suit. The jacket looked sophisticated, while the pants hung low on his hips. It left just enough to the imagination that it made her flush for even thinking it about him in that way.

"Are you asking me to be your date then, Malfoy?" She smirked at him, a stray curl falling into her face, as she glanced down. She wasn't sure if she had crossed a line.

"Believe me," He made his way around the desk. "Granger, if I ever asked you to be my date, you will know it."

He was standing right in front of her, his stormy eyes staring into her warm ones with no mercy. She looked down, her face getting redder, if that was even possible. He moved away from her with a smirk.

"Are you ready then?"

She nodded as she moved to the door. He watched her quietly. He was a quiet man to work for, he never said anything more than necessary and he never showed any sign of emotion.

"Yes, just let me grab my bag." She walked out of his office and into her little room. He followed her, looking over her small desk. She had personal things on it. Picture of her, Harry and Ron. One of her and Ginny. She noticed a frown form as he looked at the pictures.

"I'm sorry. Is it okay if I have those?" She hadn't asked him if she could, but she thought that asking permission was going to lead him to believe he could control her.

"Yes, that's fine." His voice was flat, as he looked back up at her. "Are you ready, now?"

She flushed, his tone implying that she was keeping him waiting. She put her purse on her arm and nodded. He led them to the end of the hall, an apparation point in the building. He offered her his hand, and she took it, closing her eyes as she felt the suction that pulled her.

When the sensation stopped, Hermione opened her eyes and found that they were somewhere that she had never been before.

"Where are we?" She asked him after she took a deep breath.

"A wizarding community in Italy. I know a good dress robes shop here, and they are very unique in their selections."

His voice was still cool, calculating. As if it was the most common thing in the world to do. He offered her his arm, and knowing that no one they knew would be around, she took it.

He led her up the small street and into a rustic shop. It seemed small on the outside, but when they entered, she knew that they had to use a charm on it. The inside seemed gigantic. She was taking a look at the racks of robes that seemed never ending, when they were stopped.

"How may we help you?" He was a sleek looking man. He had his hair combed over smartly, and a very fine black mustache. He looked them over and smiled.

"Yes, we are interested in a set of dress robes." Draco said calmly, not at all overwhelmed the way Hermione was.

"Ah, yes. Matching robes for the happy couple, yes?" He beamed at them.

Hermione opened her mouth to correct him, when Draco gave him a stiff nod.

"I want you to have her robes designed first and then mine to match. While I am getting my robes measured, she is to go through the special." He looked at the man, and after a small glance at Hermione, he added a quick, "Please."

The gentleman turned, to show them to the designing room. They followed him, while Hermione looked up at the Slytherin through her eyelashes.

"The special?" She muttered quietly to him.

"A treat for you, I appreciate the hard work you have been doing for me and the company. Every woman deserves a day a pampering." He shrugged as if it meant next to nothing for him to do this for her.

Hermione remained quiet as a small grey haired witch came over and took her hand. She led her into the room, and away from Draco. The old witch shooed him out. He left with an eye roll.

"Now, dearie, what kind of colors do you like?" Her voice was thick and heavy, most likely from smoking a pipe.

Hermione felt her face pale. She had no idea what Draco would have in mind for colors, or what she would wear. She felt nervous as she shrugged.

"I, um. I am really not sure." She whispered as she licked her lips. Books were her thing. Not clothes, and certainly not dress robes.

"That's quite alright. I will help you with everything. So the colors? Do you have any color that you love to wear? Or that you think you look good in?" She had a large pad of paper and a quill that looked very much like Skeeter's Quick Quotes Quill, except this one did not look malicious.

"Purple." She whispered, closing her eyes. "A deep violet color. It goes well with my hair and my eyes." She nodded, mostly to herself as she smiled.

"Purple, yes. Okay. How about an accent color?"

"Black. Purple looks striking next to it."

Yes, missy!" The old witches quill was scratching away at Hermione's voice.

"I like lace, and I think a classy bow is nice." She thought as she scrunched up her eyes in thought. "I wouldn't mind a bodice that clung to me, but something that flared a little bit, so I don't trip over my own feet."

When she looked up, the sketch was finished. She took a deep breath in amazement as she looked it over. It was as if the witch had been in her mind. A part of her wondered if she had been. She beamed at her.

"Oh! It's so amazing! I love it!" She reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Now that you like it, let's get your measurements."

Hermione nodded and moved over to the stool that the witch had in the middle of the floor. She took the step up and three measuring tapes began to dance around her, with the quill making notes along the sketch.

"Yes," The witch looked at Hermione as the measurements were taken. "This will be a beautiful dress for a beautiful girl."

Hermione's face turned red as she looked away. She had never thought of herself as beautiful. She was just plain Hermione Granger, bookworm extraordinaire.

As if a silent alarm went off, the man with the fine mustache was back. He walked over to Hermione, taking her by the waist and moving her away from the little old witch.

"Enjoy yourself! The dress will be done in time for you and your wizards function." The strained husk of words called out to her.

She looked around for Draco but didn't seem him anywhere as she was lead to the back. Once they were there, the man gave her a small smirk.

"Please remove your clothes and wait here."

Her face flushed bright red. There was no way that she was going to remove her clothes. She turned to tell him that, when she realized he was gone. She glanced back around, taking in the room. It was a large white room, which was slowly becoming thick with steam. As the steam surrounded her, it grew hot and sticky. She couldn't see very far in front of her, and so she decided to take off her clothes.

After she was naked, a voice called out to her. She turned looking for the source.

"Please move forward. There is a mud bath at the end. Please slip in and we will be right with you."

She flushed from the heat and the idea that someone was watching her. She walked to the end of the hall, and found a shallow hole in the floor, filled with thick bubbling mud. She checked around her, before slipping down into the mud.

"Oh!" The sigh left her mouth before she was even all the way it. It was the strangest feeling. It felt like her body was being sucked at, and all the stress she had been feeling slowing ebbed away. She leaned back and closed her eyes.

The brunette was in there for about ten minutes before she heard footsteps approaching her. She opened her chocolate eyes, and looked up to see a small petite blonde standing above her.

"Miss Granger! What an honor to have you in our spa! I promise when you leave here, you will be relaxed and beautiful."

When that being said, she pulled Hermione up and out of the mud, and took her into a room that looked like a large shower. Gentle jets of water began to hose her down, and soon all of the brown goop was washed away and she was being led into a room with a flat cushioned table in the middle.

They laid her down on the table, on her stomach, and soon hot stones were scattered across her back. They felt amazing and Hermione felt as if she was melting onto the floor.

"Wow, this is amazing." She murmured.

Soon they had the stones removed and took her into yet, another room. In here, they rubbed a thick potion across most of her body. It tingled and when they scrapped it off, all of the unwanted body hair was gone.

Her face flushed at how naked and smooth the felt. She had never been one to worry about her body before, but after this experience she didn't think she could really ignore it going forward.

"Here, put these on."

The blonde girl handed her some soft lingerie, in a soft lavender color. She quickly pulled on the cheeky lace bottoms and the matching bra which put her breasts front and center. The witch handed her a robe and led her into a small room.

Here they are every beauty product that Hermione could think to ask for, and about a million more that she had no idea what to expect. She took a seat in a large chair, and adjusted the robe around her. She closed her eyes and let out a soft moan as the girl went to work on her hair.

She wasn't sure it had been minutes or hours, but after several bottles of product, she was allowed to sit up and look in the mirror. Her hair was sleek, and curled down her back. The make up on her face was minimal, but it highlighted her already pretty features.

"Oh, my…" She sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror. It was a beautiful look on her, and she was amazed that Malfoy for pay for something like this. She was going to need to figure out a way to pay him back. Surely this was going to be too much.

"Now, your hair is going to be enchanted for the next six weeks. If you ever need us to redo it, please come back. It would be our pleasure."

Hermione smiled at the girl, and stood. She gave her a dress to put on. It was a Gryffindor red silk dress that clung to her body. It was sleeveless and had a high neckline. It came down to the middle of her thigh, and with the pair of matching heels she was told to put on she looked like a model.

"Perfect!" The blonde smiled triumphantly as she looked her over.

"Thank you." Hermione felt her face flush. She was not use to someone taking their time with her like this.

"Let's go, I want to see his face!" She hissed as she pushed the brunette out the doorway and back to the front of the store.

When they came out, Draco was leaning against the counter, talking animatedly with the owner. It was a second before they saw the young Gryffindor. Draco stopped talking, his mouth agape. He blinked a couple of times, and it seemed that the careful mask he always wore, was melting away.

"Granger, wo- you look stunning."

He walked over to her and gave her a rare smile. She flushed pink, and looked down. An unknown sensation running through her body at the complement.

"Thank you so much for this," She looked up at him through her eyelashes.

"You deserve it." His voice was soft, and she thought it was strange to see him like this.

For a moment they both stood there, looking at each other. She opened her mouth to say something, when her watch chimed.

"It's already seven?" She asked, shocked at the time.

"Yes, I was wondering if you would like to get something to eat."

She looked at the handsome face in front of her, and almost took him up on the offer. Then a gangly red head popped into her mind.

"Malfoy, I can't. I told Ron that I would meet him for dinner."

For an unknown reason, her face flushed again. She looked down, adjusting the skirt of the dress. When she looked back up, the mask was back in place.

"Of course, Granger. I should have asked earlier."

He turned back to the owner, tossed him a card. He walked back over to Hermione, offering his arm to her stiffly. She took it, but it felt wrong, and forced.

"The robes will be done this next Friday. You will pick them up, as I am not allowed to see yours."

She nodded, before glancing at him. He was walking them to the apparition point.

"Why not?"

"It's bad luck." He shrugged as if the reasoning didn't matter.

With a CRACK they were back in Malfoy Enterprises. He gave her a soft smile before walking away. He made it to his office before turning back to her.

"I will be working late tonight. Have a good night with the Weasel." He left her alone with her thoughts.

She glanced at the time on her watch and apparated out of Malfoy Enterprises. She landed softly in the alley way next to a small French restaurant. It was a romantic place to be, and she had been very surprised when Ron suggested it. She walked to the front, and was soon escorted to a table for two in the back.

"Hi, Ron." She smiled at him as she waited for him to pull out her seat.

He glanced up at her and smiled, but made no move. After a small sigh, she sat herself down. She couldn't help but notice how everyone kept turning and staring at her.

"Hermione, I feel like I never see you anymore." His blue eyes twinkled in the candle light.

"Well, we are both so busy with work and everything." She looked over the wine menu, placing her wand on a particular vintage, and it filled her glass. She took a sip as she looked at him.

He was dressed nicely, but his face was not shaved. She had never liked his stubble, but didn't comment on it. He didn't look at her, as he had his eyes glued to the menu. She noticed he had two empty whiskey glasses and she frowned.

"How is work going?" She asked quietly.

"Work? Oh it's fine. Harry keeps us all so busy." He shrugged. "We are going to that Ministry Ball, and that was part of the reason for this dinner. I wanted to ask you to be my date."

Her throat tightened at the thought of it. She was already going with Malfoy. It was part of her job. She sighed and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Ron. I already have a date."

He finally looked up at her. He frowned as he took her appearance in for the first time. He got his glass to refill and he swallowed it all without blinking.

"I see. And this new job…? What is it you do exactly?" His voice was cold.

Hermione squirmed in her seat. She wasn't allowed to talk about work. She took another sip of the wine.

"I work at the Ministry." She said softly.

"I know, but what do you do?" He looked her over. "Looks to me like you're someone's hussy."

Hermione's eyes grew wide, and tears filled them. She put down the menu and clasped her hands in lap.

"How, how can you say such a thing to me?"

"You are the one keeping secrets. Since when do you have dates, with anyone but me?"

He let out a small laugh, it chilled Hermione to the bone. She flinched at the sound and turned away from him, wiping her eyes.

"I never thought you would be one to sleep your way to the top, Hermione."

She glanced at him, anger taking over, as she threw her wine in his face. She rose, gracefully, and turned to him.

"I never thought you would be one to say such rude things to someone you claim to love. I guess we both don't know the other."

She turned and walked away from him, tears streaming down her face. She made it outside, and to the alley. She wasn't sure what she was going to do, and with a CRACK she was gone.

She landed and rushed over to her chair, the sobs that had been clutched in her chest finally breaking free. She held her head in her hands and let her body shake.

"Granger?" His voice was soft, and full of concern.

"Oh, um... I forgot you would be here." She said in between rough breaths.

"Hey, are you alright?" He walked over to her, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I... Ron said some really horrible things to me. He said I was dressing like a hussy, and that I must be sleeping my way to the top, because there was no way I would have a date to the Ball otherwise."

She started shaking over a new round of sobs. With a swift flick of his hand, another chair was beside her, and Draco sat down next to her.

"Granger, if he said that to you, then he doesn't truly care about you. You look beautiful tonight, and even if it is only a work relationship, I am proud to have you as my date. If I hadn't got to you first, who know how many other callers would have come around?"

He gave her a smile, as she looked up at him. He felt his breath catch, as he looked at her tearful face. He felt himself leaning in closer, before he blinked, breaking the spell.

"You really think so?" She asked with a raspy voice.

"I know so, and if the Weasel is too thick to trust you then you deserve someone so much better than him."

"Thank you, Malfoy." She sighed contently for the moment.

"Draco."

"Hmmm?" She glanced into his grey eyes.

"Please call me Draco." He grinned.


End file.
